I LOVE Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

Hello everyone!

I've recently been trying out a BB Cream by Ginvera. To give the product it's full name it's the Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream - phew, quite the mouthful! Keep reading to find out my thoughts on this product.

I'll admit that this is the first BB Cream I've thoroughly tested. Like everyone else i'd heard about the moisturising properties, the brightening aspects, built in SPF protection and of course the glowing reviews. I was sceptical. Very sceptical. How could these so-called miracle "BB Creams" have been under the radar til now if they're so wonderful? Are they really all that, or is it just some very clever marketing hype? And so, I convinced myself that BB Creams were just another fad in the beauty world and I delayed trying them, until now that is, and boy am I kicking myself for not trying this sooner!

What is a BB Cream?

"BB cream, also known as Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beauty Balm is a cosmetic base sold mainly in East and Southeast Asia, although larger beauty brands are increasingly introducing BB creams to Western markets as well. Originally formulated in Germany by dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek in the 1950s,  the cream was initially used to protect skin after laser procedures and surgery, while also providing light coverage. Introduced to South Korea and Japan in the 1980s, BB cream has been named "the secret of Korean actresses" and has been heavily endorsed by Korean celebrities, which gained it large exposure in these Asian markets"

Sounds impressive, huh?

Now a bit about my skin - I have dry skin, at times it can get a bit on the flaky side - and no amount of exfoliation, moisturising or scrubbing has ever truly gotten rid of it. Now, as a makeup artist I LOVE makeup, trying out new brands, testing new formulas and the best thing to have when playing around with colourful looks is to have a blank canvas, or in other words a flawless base. However, I have searched for years high up and low down to find the "holy grail" of foundations. I got close a few times, but they were never quite right - the shade wasn't right, it was too cakey, it clung to dry patches, it didn't wear well, they were drying on the skin etc... You name it, I had the problem! So after years spent trying high end brands in my never ending search for a perfect base, I'll admit that I had my doubts about this BB Cream. I'm very fussy when it comes to a skin base, could this REALLY live up to expectations?

YOU BET'CHA!! I think I just may have found the ever elusive Holy Grail in skin bases. When I first tested the product it looked quite dark. "Oh no, yet another failure, this one is far too dark for my porcelain hues" I bemoaned when I saw the shade, however when I blended in the product into my skin something magical happened - it vanished! Right before my very eyes - no longer could I see the dark brown fluid which at first glance was completely the wrong shade for me, the cream had adapted to my own skintone and blended flawlessy with my own skin. Wow. 

Heavily Swatched:

Blended out:

(You can't even see it's there!)

Ok, but now for the important test - "is it going to cling to dry patches and go flaky" which is a huge no-no with me. When I first applied it the one thing which caught me off guard was how fabulously dewy and radiant it looked. My skin was left glowing and luminous - not a dry, cakey or flakey patch in sight. If you're looking for a matte look, this probably isn't the product for you, however if you want to look as though you're glowing from the inside with luminosity, then this most definitely is right up your alley!

I think that this is the product I've been looking all my life for and now at last we are re-united! As soon as a friend met me after I had applied the Ginvera Nude Cover BB Cream she instantly commented on how good my skin looked - it didn't look like I was wearing makeup at all, it was my skin, but better!

The formula is quite runny and liquidy and I found that it gives a beautiful sheer glow - you can of course build this coverage up with thin layers if you want medium-heavy coverage in order to cover blemishes etc... It really evened out my skintone and gave me a clear complexion - all whilst keeping my skin super hydrated all day long thanks to the addition of Hyaluronic acid.

I also love the fact that this product has an SPF of 30. I'm forever telling people to wear sunscreen however I know I should wear it more often myself. Normally I dislike facial products containing an SPF as I find them heavy and greasy on my skin and sometimes they can give your skintone an ashy cast which does not photograph well, however I'm pleased to say that I did not experience any of these issues with the Ginvera BB Cream. It photographed beautifully, instantly adapted to my own skintone and felt light and refreshing all day long, and the best part - after a long day spent in the sun on a beach - still no dryness or flaky patches, YAY!!!!

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream gets a HUGE thumbs up from me! A+

You can purchase this from Harvey Nichols in the UK and Ireland for just £20 here;

http://www.harveynichols.com/factfinder/search/result/?q=ginvera

Or if you're not near a Harvey Nichols you can buy it direct from Janiro UK for the same price of just £20 here;

http://www.janiro.co.uk/

Have you tried this product? If so I would love to hear your thoughts on it and see if you loved it as much as I did.

Belle xXx

NOTD - Iced Latte - OPI dupe

So, I decided I wanted to go for a nude "Mannequin hands" look, and I just happened to pick up Essence's nail polish in Iced Latte from the Nude Glam collection the other day - so what better time to try it out!

Iced Latte is a lovely opaque, very creamy taupe beige with pink undertones. It took just 2 coats to get a nice, even and glossy coverage.

 Whilst browsing in town yesterday, I noticed that Iced Latte is a great dupe for OPI's Barre My Soul from the Ballet Collection.

What's your favourite nude-look polish?

Belle xXx

WIN!! A fab BeTrousse Summer Break Beauty Kit worth over £109!!!

Hi guys!

I'm really excited to introduce you to BeTrousse UK - they're one of the newest entrants to the Beauty Box market, however there's one thing that sets them apart from all the rest - you get 5 high end FULL SIZE products in each beauty kit!

Yes, that's right, 5 FULL SIZE products and not just teeny weeny samples, or travel sized versions.

I'm absolutely delighted to be able to present this wonderful prize of their "Summer Break" Beauty Kit to you, which is worth a whopping £109!

Read on to see how you can win this prize!

So what's in this fabulous Summer Break Beauty Kit worth £109?

1.) SECRET ECLAT JEUNESSE 

By LILAS BLANC £36.50

Discover the very first luxury organic anti-aging brand in the market . This anti-wrinkle day skincare will moisturises, smoothes and stimulates your skin.

The precious and unique active ingredients are clinically tested to ensure maximum effectiveness. The product, tested by independent laboratories, is perfectly harmless. This cream respects the Cosmébio charter and is certified Ecological and Organic Cosmetics by ECOCERT.

This is a full size product at 50ml and retails for £36.50

2.) ROSES PETAL RAIN MIST (Atlas Ritual Morocco) £28.00

The Roses Petal Rain Mist is a soothing phyto-aromatic body mist with delicate fragrances. 

Cinq Mondes gets its inspiration from the Beauty Rituals of the World: after enjoying the steam from the Hamman, oriental women used to perfume themselves with fresh roses floral water. In order to respect the traditional fragrances of rose with a contemporary touch, Cinq mondes called on the interpretation of the famous perfumer Olivia Giacobetti to create this beauty body mist.

This is a full size product at 200mls and retails for £28

3.) NOURISHING FACE CREAM

By ORHIS £28

Orhis nourishing face cream is the ideal daily skin care for all types of skin!!OrhiS Nourishing Face Cream repairs, nourishes and protects.Thanks to its plant extracts, skin is smooth, bright and soft again. It protects the skin from premature ageing.Its creamy formula and its subtle fragrance bring suppleness and well-being to the skin. In this cream, there is cottonseed. It is the ideal extract for dry and damaged skin. Thanks to its soothing, revitalizing and regenerating properties and its repairs the skin. It leaves a silky touch.It is strongly recommended for softening and moisturizing. Argan oil is exceptionally rich in natural vitamin E (Anti-ageing properties).

It deeply nourishes and softens the skin and diminishes wrinkles. Argan oil is rich in natural ingredients that play an important role in cell renewal. It neutralizes free radicals and protects the tissue.

It stimulating pore detoxification and protects by restoring the skin's natural lipid barrier and increasing the nutritional level of the cells.

The products feature natural cosmetics and aromatherapy products, making them perfect for creating a feeling of beauty inside and out.

This is a full size product and retails for £28.00

4.) BENTA BERRY Moisturizing Cream 

By BENTA BERRY £12.00

Youthful skin and growing up…

At puberty the production of hormones rises which has an extreme effect on skin in young people: The sebaceous gland activity increases, excess sebum is produced and clogging pores and causing skin and hair to become oilier. The blocked pores become infected more easily, it causes pimples, blackheads and even acne. Unfortunately 80% of all teenagers suffer from acne, of which 85% have mild to moderate acne and 15% have severe acne. 

The first appearance of skin blemishes can be counteracted with customized care to maintain beautiful youthful skin. Balancing the skin with moisturizer is especially important because it protects the skin from external influences.

Full sized product at 30ms - retails at £12

5.) NAIL ART KIT EXPRESS

By COSMETOO NAILS £3.9

With this wonderful Nail Art kit, you will realize quickly and easily a perfect manicure with an original design!

Contents : 1 pack of hot pink bow stickers - 1 bag with rhinestones - 1 stick of boxwood 

Full sized product worth £3.90

I think you'll agree that this is a gorgeous box packed full of lovely beauty treats! With everything from facial moisturisers a body mist and nail art goodies!

The value of this prize comes in at £109!!!

If you'd like to be in with a chance to win this prize then it's really simple;

Compulsory requirements:

 (don't worry, they're easy peasy and will take just 2 secs to do! Yup, really!)

1.) You must "like" Belle Morte Beauty on Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/BelleMorteBeauty

2.) You must "like" BeTrousse UK on Facebook and tell them I sent you -

https://www.facebook.com/BeTrousseUk

3.) Follow my Blog here with Google+

See, it's as easy as 1, 2, 3! :D

When you have done the above, please leave a comment stating you have done so, and you will be entered ONE time into the prize draw for this competition. All entries will be verified before going into the competition.

If you would like to enter more than once, you can do so by doing the following;

1.) Follow me on Twitter @BelleMorteBlog and ReTweet this:

"I've entered the Belle Morte Beauty giveaway for a BeTrousse Summer Break Beauty Kit worth £109! at  http://bellemortebeauty.blogspot.ie/2012/08/win-fab-betrousse-summer-break-beauty.html "

This will count as one EXTRA entry into the competition.

2.) Get your friends to "like" Belle Morte Beauty on Facebook

For every friend you get to like us on Facebook we'll give you and EXTRA entry!! :D

Just let me know in the comments below the friends you referred to like our page, and for each person you get to like us on Facebook, we'll give you extra entries!

BEST OF LUCK!!!! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Youting up…

At puberty the production of hormones rises which has an extreme effect on skin in young people: The sebaceous gland activity increases, excess sebum is produced and clogging pores and causing skin and hair to become oilier. The blocked pores become infected more easily, it causes pimples, blackheads and even acne. Unfortunately 80% of all teenagers suffer from acne, of which 85% have mild to moderate acne and 15% have severe acne. 

The first appearance of skin blemishes can be counteracted with customized care to maintain beautiful youthful skin. Balancing the skin with moisturizer is especially important because it protects the skin from external influences.

Full size product at 30ml and retails for £12.00

5.) NAIL ART KIT EXPRESS

By COSMETOO NAILS £3.90

With this wonderful Nail Art kit, you will realize quickly and easily a perfect manicure with an original design!

 Contents : 1 pack of stickers pink knot - 1 bag with rhinestones - 1 stick of boxwood 

Full size product - £3.90

I think you'll agree that this is a gorgeous box packed full of lovely beauty treats! With everything from facial moisturisers a body mist and nail art goodies!

The value of this prize comes in at £109!!!

If you'd like to be in with a chance to win this prize then it's really simple;

Compulsary requirements (don't worry, they're easy peasy and will take just 2 secs to do! Yup, really!)

1.) You must "like" Belle Morte Beauty on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BelleMorteBeauty

2.) You must "like" BeTrousse UK on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BeTrousseUk

3.) Follow my Blog here with Google Connect.

When you have done the above, please leave a comment stating you have done so, and you will be entered ONE time into the prize draw for this competition. All entries will be verified before going into the competition.

If you would like to enter more than once, you can do so by doing the following;

1.) Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/BelleMorteBlog

and RETWEET: "I've entered the @BelleMorteBlog for the BeTrousse giveaway on http://bellemortebeauty.blogspot.ie/"

This will count as one EXTRA entry into the competition.

2.) Get your friends to "like" Belle Morte Beauty on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BelleMorteBeauty

For every friend you get to like our page, we'll give you an addition entry into the competition. :D

Just let me know in the comments the friends you referred to like our page, and for each person you get to like us on Facebook, we'll give you extra entries!

Bargain Budget Beauty Buys

As a lot of you know by now, Essence is one of my favourite, high quality, low cost cosmetics brands out there. If you're on a budget, you'd be hard pushed to find a brand better to cater to your needs than Essence. Their nail polish range is a particular fav of mine - I don't feel guilty when picking up a few new polishes in my local chemist due to the fact that they cost a mere €1.79 - yes that's right, less than 2 quid guys! Can't go wrong with that!


Essence nail polishes are about to get a revamp however - out with the old, in with the new, all that jazz!

The next generation! From August 2012, essence will be presenting a completely new and innovative colour & go nail polish range.

The new and super stylish color & go nail polish range which prices at a mere €1.79 will come in a new and stylish bottle this summer and a total of 44 gorgeous colours. The new range is intensive, long lasting and has an extremely short drying time so perfect for anyone on the go, busy mums, last minute change of wardrobe, on holidays or those who simply hate waiting for polish to dry! Thanks to the new brush, the polish glides on easily so application is simple.

• 44 new and trendy colors
• Brilliant gel-shine effect: for a highly intense finish
• Ultra fast-drying formula
• Particularly long durability
• Perfect coverage

What’s the secret? The innovative formula specially developed for essence. It unites particularly intensive, long-lasting color and shine effects with an extremely short drying time for perfect nail polish results. Of course, it does not contain any harmful ingredients such as formaldehyde, toluene and emollient phthalate.

Thanks to the new patented professional brush, application is easier and more fun than ever before: the quick & easy brush consists of two nylon brushes positioned close together. This way, the brush can capture much more color and the rounded edges of the applicator brush distribute the nail polish on your nails even faster, more accurately and smoothly without any streaks. The packaging is also new: the 8ml bottle in a cool essence design has even more content – with the usual color-coded lid that is perfectly in line with the color of the respective nail polish.

With an incredibly large selection of breathtaking colors – from cheerful bright shades to classic red and dark, almost black nuances as well as shimmering or metallic effects - essence will be introducing these unique nail polishes in the standard range at the usual low price in the fall/winter season of 2012/2013.

What do you think guys, do you like the new nail polish bottle design?

Ciate's Brand New Velvet Manicure

The British nail brand Ciate, which earlier this year caused a sensation with its caviar manicure kit comprising tiny caviar-like pearls to create a 3D beaded effect, has now announced its velvet manicure kit, which consists of a paint pot, crushed velvet and a dusting brush accessory

Creating the Velvet Manicure at home is easy: Simply coat your nails with the polish, sprinkle on some dust, and brush off the excess. The result yields a luxe, crushed velvet-coated look (and feel!). 


Choose from three shades: Berry Poncho (plum), Blue Suede (navy), and Mink Cashmere (grey).

I'm loving the look of Berry Poncho so far, this will be perfect for the autumn with the rich, berry tones. Gorgeous.

Berry Poncho:

With the explosion of nail art in the past few years, nail polish brands have been constantly looking for new ways to create a buzz. Last year companies including OPI and China Glaze embraced the crackle effect trend with their product launches, while Nails Inc. released a polish line called Magnetic Attraction which came with an embedded magnet to create a rippled effect. This velvet manicure kit, is really something else however, and I can't wait to get my hands on it to show you all!

What do you think of the Velvet Manicure kit, will you be trying it out when it's launched?

Available from: www.ciate.co.uk

Belle xXx

Catrice Goodies - Lipsticks - Review and Swatches

As a lot of you know by now, Catrice is one of my favourite budget beauty brands out there. I love the fact they they're so readily available in just about every pharmacy / Dunnes and Penneys in the country now and the fact that they're cheap as chips! Cheap and good quality don't always go hand in hand, but this is fortunately the case for Catrice.

Their nail polishes are better than some far other pricier options out there and the pigmentation in their lipsticks are awesome! They are constantly updating their stands, bringing out new collections, limited edition releases etc.. so it's always a treat to see what's on the shelves the next time you're in store.

Today I picked up a few pieces and thought I would share them with you all. First up are 3 lipsticks I purchased.

1. C01 in Colour Bomb from the Revoltaire Collection. 
2. 160 in Pink Panther
3. 100 in Lobster Love

From Left to Right: Colour Bomb, Lobster Love, Pink Panther

Colour Bomb: 

"Velvet Matt Lip Colour" - This lipstick is from the beautifully presented Revoltaire collection. As the name suggests it's a real in your face, loud neon colour, which has a beautiful, long lasting matte finish. This shade is a gorgeous pink coral shade - so nice in fact that I picked up two of these babies so I have one as a backup.

Lobster Love:

This lipstick is from the regular line and unfortunately it's about to be discontinued, so if you find one, snap it up quick! This is from the Ultimate Colour series and is No. 100. Lobster Love (love the name! ROCK LOBSTER! hehe) is a summer orangey/red with coral hues. This will be really nice for summer and will look great if you have a tan. 

This also happens to be a fabulous dupe for MAC's Toxic Tale lipstick from the Disney Collection, so if you missed out on Toxic Tale grab a Lobster Love whilst you still can! ;)

Left: MAC Toxic Tale, Right: Catrice Lobster Love

Pink Panther:

Pink Panker from the Ultimate Shine range in No.160 is a yummy Barbie pink shade with micro silver irredescent sparkle. It's a lovely glossy shade that can be layered to give a more opaque look if required. It's a nice creamy, moisturising formula with good lasting power.

What do you think of Catrice cosmetics? Got any fav Catrice products you'd like to share?

Belle xXx

Jemma Kidd Skin Rescue Pro Skin Bio-Complex Veil in Nude - Review and Photos

The Skin Rescue Bio-Complex Veil SPF 15  is an all-in-one moisturising skin essential that preps, primes, tints, illuminates and protects the skin. It can be worn on its own or underneath foundation.

As this is a low coverage product I like to use this as a primer underneath my foundation. I apply this using a flat top foundation brush, it just blends so easily in to the skin and has such a lovely silky  texture making foundation application just effortless. This can also be used on its own for a 'make up free' dewy look. It seems to just really brighten up my skin making it look so healthy and radiant. 


The Skin Rescue Bio-Complex Veil comes in two colours. Nude Y1 (yellow / cool undertone) and Nude P1 (pink / warm undertone)and retails at £32, a little really does go a long way with this product so it will last you for ages.

The Skin Veil comes in a nice long sleek black tube with a pump action, and one pump is enough for the whole face! The veil has a mousse - like texture that blends in effortlessly using the flat top foundation brush. I used the shade Y1 which is for cool undertones (they do another shade P1 for warm skin tones) and when I first squeezed the product out I thought it was going to be the wrong colour for me as it looked too warm and too dark, however once blended into the skin it was the perfect match. 

The veil is light-weight and has a transparent coverage so let's you still see your skin but evens out the skin tone - if you prefer a heavier coverage you can always apply your foundation over the top as it gives the perfect flawless base. It gave my skin a lovely smooth, radiant glowy 'no makeup makeup look' finish and I really noticed the difference after about 30 minutes of settling into my skin. I would suggest applying a small amount of mineral powder across the forehead and T-zone as I thought it made me look a little too shiny. It lasted really well on my skin all day and still looked fresh in the evening! I would definitely recommend trying this if you like a natural looking base or to enhance your skin underneath your foundation instead of your usual primer. 

Swatches:

Blended out:

This product is priced at £32 and available from Jemma Kidd.

Jemma Kidd Stardust Creme Shadow in 07 Galaxy - Review

"Get instant day to night sophisticated glamour with Jemma Kidd Stardust Crème Shadow. Ultra flattering and easy to apply, this long lasting shimmer stick for eyes features a hydrating formulation that looks and feels great on the eyes.

With an incredibly creamy texture, it can be applied alone or over powder or crème."

I love the packaging for this Stardust Creme Shadow (what a name to boot!) it comes in a hot pink metal cylinder - about the same length as a lipstick, but much, much thinner and sleeker. The tube is very robust and it's compact size makes it great for travelling with or throwing in your makeup bag, with no fear of it getting damaged whilst you're on the go.

The Creme Shadow itself is buttery smooth and very pigmented with little flecks of shimmer dispersed throughout.

The shade I have in 07 - Galaxy. This is a rich burnt copper / bronze shade with gold and silver sparkles running through it.

This can be used alone on the eye area, or use it as a base for a gold/bronze eyeshadow powder on top. This is gonna get a lot of use of the summer months in my bid to achieve a bronzed goddess look (yeah right! lol)